


A sophisticated interlocking brick system

by CommanderBunnBunn



Series: Gemini verse [1]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Fluff without Plot, Gen, Good Dad Jack, Parental Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:54:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24130924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CommanderBunnBunn/pseuds/CommanderBunnBunn
Summary: Takes place in @impossiblepluto's Gemini Project 'verse. It was such a magical and wonderful story that I couldn't resist adding a little bit to it.  Reading Pluto's story is imperative to understanding this.AJ finds a hobby. No plot here, just talk of sophisticated interlocking brick systems and one smart little Mac clone.
Series: Gemini verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741264
Comments: 17
Kudos: 27





	A sophisticated interlocking brick system

**Author's Note:**

  * For [impossiblepluto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossiblepluto/gifts).



Jack and AJ wandered the Lego aisle, AJ holding tight to Jack's pinky as they looked up and down at the immense selection of brick sets. 

"All right little buddy, how about this one? It's Batman and the Batmobile. Ooh, this bad guy is the Riddler." Jack handed AJ a small Lego Junior set, indicated for ages 4+ on the box. They were still the normal bricks like for older kids, but the instructions were simpler and the sets had significantly fewer pieces. 

AJ smiled up at Jack with his gigantic blue eyes and pointed to another Batmobile Lego set on the bottom shelf in a large box, "What about that one?" 

Jack picked up the box on the shelf, in awe of the Batmobile build from the Michael Keaton movie he'd loved so much in high school. "Oh, no son, that one is for grown ups." He pointed to the information on the box, "see, it says for ages 16 and up, and it's got more than 3000 pieces." Jack considered it again, "Maybe you can do it one day with Mac." He placed it back on the shelf. Then he found a set from the animated Lego Batman movie. "Now this one is a Batmobile with about 600 pieces. I think you and I can do this one together once you graduate from that one you've got in your hand. Deal?" He stuck out his fist toward the kid.

"Deal!" AJ reciprocated the fist bump with enthusiasm, the small lego set still gripped in his other hand. 

_______

In a rush to get to building, Jack and AJ fixed spaghetti for dinner. AJ broke the long noodles in half and Jack dropped them in boiling water. AJ set the egg timer and they toasted some bread to spread garlic butter on. The kid climbed up and down his step stool to get all of the needed plates and silverware for dinner. 

They make quick work of the food and AJ sprayed and wiped the table as Jack cleared the dishes.

"Wow, you must be excited," Jack started, "you didn't even ask for ice cream."

AJ beamed as he finished cleaning the table and ran to fetch his new Lego set. Jack tore open the side of the box and dumped the bag of bricks and instruction booklet onto the table. He pulled his pocketknife out and sliced through the bag to empty the interlocking blocks as they scattered in front of the blonde. 

He completed the small set in less than 10 minutes. 

"Well, that was supposed to entertain us for at least an hour. How 'bout a movie? What kind of movie do you want to watch?"

"Batman!" AJ cheered.

Jack grabbed the remote and turned on the tv, "Ok, let me see what kind of age appropriate Batman we can find."

Everything in the safehouse was registered to Shannon Wilkerson, a faceless and genderless cover identity with bank and credit accounts so that whomever stayed in the safehouse could still enjoy the luxuries of normal life, especially important when trying to acclimate a 5 year old to actual normal life outside of a lab. Jack was grateful for that. 

"Hey look at that, there's a Lego Batman movie. You wanna watch it?" Jack asked with a grin.

"Yes!" AJ squealed as he drove his new brick Batmobile back and forth across the coffee table making vroom sounds. 

"Ok, bud." Jack ruffled his hair and turned on the movie. "Popcorn first?" 

AJ jumped into the air and ran to the kitchen before Jack even stood up. I guess that answers that question, he thought to himself, pleased. 

Jack pulled an old school tin pan of Jiffy Pop out of the pantry and turned on the burner. The first time he'd done it, AJ was amazed and had to know absolutely everything there was to know about how it worked. They watched youtube videos on the tv about popcorn and Jiffy Pop for the rest of that night. 

AJ gripped the wooden step stool with pleading eyes waiting for the OK from Jack without ever needing to say a word. Jack nodded with a smile that reached his eyes and AJ pushed the stool to the stove to watch. 

Missing his best friend's Macsplaning, Jack prodded the kid to see what he remembered from their first night of popcorn information overload. "So do you remember how the popcorn does it's thing in here?"

The child thought for a second, not wanting to get too excited to share his knowledge and stumble over the words. "The heat causes the starch inside the kernels to explode into frothy bubbles that cool and solidify as soon as it pops. The sound it makes was called to-to-po-ca by the Aztecs." He clearly enunciated and separated every syllable of the word. 

Jack couldn't help but grin at hearing his tiny protege already sound like the adult Mac. He ruffled the boy's blonde locks fondly and continued to shake the popcorn pan until the foil dome expanded fully.

They sat together on the couch in front of the tv with a large bowl of popcorn to start the movie. Jack actually enjoyed and was engrossed in the movie, loving the way they make Batman appropriate for kids yet hilarious for adults, but AJ's hands were fidgeting after about 20 minutes. 

"Hey bud, you wanna try your hand at the bigger Batmobile we got?" Jack asked, still quite interested in the movie.

"Yeah! Will you help me with it? I'm not 8 years old yet, so I'm not allowed to do it."

"Of course I will, but I'm sure you're more than capable of putting this thing together."

Jack left and returned with the box, tearing open the side and dumping out the five bags and two much larger instruction books inside. AJ's eyes widened at the stark difference between this one and the one he'd done earlier. 

They settled on the floor between the couch and the coffee table and laid out the bags in numerical order. AJ opened the wordless instruction book to the first page and Jack opened the bag numbered 1 with his pocket knife. At least fifty pieces tumbled onto the table. Jack wasn't sure if the surprise on AJ's face was excitement or intimidation. 

First step was to put Batman together. Jack could see AJs little cogs turning as he searched the pile of bricks for the pieces he needed. Legs, utility belt, torso, head, cowl. He grabbed the pieces and could not find the cowl in the disarray of mostly black bits of molded plastic. AJ's frustration started to show, and Jack wasn't about to let the fun turn into anything less. Jack located the cowl for him along with the little cape, and Batman was assembled. 

He turned the page to start the big car assembly and took a long moment to find the first piece.

"Hey bud, how's about I find your pieces for each step, and you put them together for me?"

AJ nodded in agreement and Jack picked out the pieces for the first step. Then the second, until they finished the first bag. 

"Look at that." Jack gasped in over exaggerated awe. "You built the guts of the Batmobile."

"But it doesn't look like the Batmobile." AJ said with a lopsided frown, clearly enjoying the project but wanting more payoff quicker.

"Well let's see what bag number two will bring us." Jack encouraged as he flicked open his pocketknife with a snikt, tearing through the top of the bag and spilling the contents with gusto. 

He pulled the pieces step by step and watched the tiny nimble fingers snap the pieces together with enthusiasm. When they neared the end of bag two, the movie was over and Jack was sore all over. "Allright bud, ol' Jack's back isn't made for this much sitting on the floor, so I'm gonna relocate here to the couch for a little bit. I think there's only a few pieces left, and you should be able to find them just fine on your own."

"Ok Jack." He answered not even taking his eyes off the bricks in his hand. 

Jack laid flat on his back across the entire couch and stretched his arms up over his head in an attempt to decompress everything that had become sore or tight from leaning over the coffee table and sitting on the floor. Even with his arms dangling off the arm of the couch above his head, Jack managed to accidentally doze off immediately. 

AJ heard Jack's light snoring over the satisfying click of the blocks locking together. He put down his mostly formed vehicle and climbed across Jack on the couch, wedging himself in the crevice between the back of the couch and Jack's side. He snuggled in and rested his head on Jack's chest, tiny arm stretched across it. Instinctively Jack wrapped his arm around his charge and pulled him in tight planting a kiss on the top of his hair without even waking up. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for letting me play in your sandbox, @impossiblepluto  
> It is a magical and wonderful sandbox. Any excuse to write Jack Dalton with a child is enough for me, but your story is just so damn perfect and engaging. Give Jack all the children!


End file.
